Adobe has started testing a free version of Photoshop on the web, and plans to open the service to everyone as a way to introduce more users to the application.
The company is now testing the free version in Canada, where users can access Photoshop on the web using a free Adobe account. Adobe describes the service as “freemium” and finally plans to disable some features that will be exclusive to paid subscribers. There will be enough free tools available to carry out what Adobe considers to be the basic features of Photoshop.
“It simply came to our notice then [Photoshop] more accessible and easier for more people to try and experience the product, “says Maria Yap, Adobe’s vice president of digital imaging.
Photoshop on the web. Image: Adobe
Adobe first released its web version of Photoshop in October, offering a simplified version of the application that could be used to manage basic editions. Basic layers and editing tools made the leap, but the service didn’t come close to including the wide range of application features. Instead, Adobe framed it primarily as a collaboration tool – a way for an artist to share an image with others and make them jump, leave some notes, and make a couple of small tweaks and re-create them. hi.
In the following months, Adobe has made a handful of updates to the service and also begun to open it beyond the use of the collaboration. Previously, someone had to share a document on the web from the desktop application, but now any Photoshop subscriber can sign in and start a new document directly from the web.
“I want to see if Photoshop knows where users are now.”
Adobe’s goal is to use the web version of Photoshop to make the app more accessible and potentially engage users who want to pay for the full version later. The company has taken a similar route with several of its mobile apps, including Fresco and Express. The web version of Photoshop is an especially important offering, as it opens up one of the company’s most powerful tools to Chromebooks, which are widely used in schools.
“I want to see if Photoshop knows where users are now,” says Yap. “You do not need a high – end machine to enter Photoshop.”
Adobe did not provide a timeline on when the freemium version would be released more widely. Meanwhile, the company continues to upgrade Photoshop for the web with more tools, such as edge trimming, curving, doge and engraving tools, and the ability to convert smart objects. The web version is also receiving mobile support for reviewing and commenting on images.
Adobe also unveiled a new AI-powered neural filter coming to Photoshop today. The new “photo restore” filter can take a yellowish photo, automatically clean up scratches, and restore some of its color. When combined with Adobe’s existing color filter to add color to black and white photos, both filters can quickly bring an old photo to life, even if the end result looks a bit drawn.